Postal card.



H. GERNSBACK.

POSTAL CARD.

APPLpcATloN FILED JUNE 1. 1913. RENEwED MAY l5, 191s.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

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POSTAL CARD.

recaiga,

Application filed .Tune 7, 19,13, Serial No. 772,291.

To all whom t may concern;

Bo it known that I, HUGO GERNSBAGK, o citizen of the United States, residing at New Yorl, in the county of New Yorh and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Postal Cards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in postal cards, and more particularly to the class known as return postal cards, and has for its object to provide a device of this character, with a protecting fiap which can be secured without additional fasteners for protootrlg the Stamp on tho reverse Sido of tho 12o-Stal card.

A further` objoot of the invention iS to provide a postal card adapted for use by advertisers which is sent to prospective custoniers whoimay send the postal card if the ooncerns literature is desired, with the name and address of the person desiring said literature, Said postal Gard having a portion projecting fromthe upper edge, one part of which removed by the person desiring the literature, the balance being folded over to form a iiap, the corners of which are inserted in the body of the postal card, and beneath this flap may be placed a stamp, cash, money order or other object,

A still further object of the invention is to provide a return Vpostal card, which will contain the name and address of theperson desiring the literature of the original sender as well as the postage for carrying the `literature through the mail, so that when said postal card is received by the original sender, it is only necessary to paste the same upon the wrapper of the literature, thereby overcoming the necessity of having to write the, address, and preventing mistakes in transcribing, and saving considerable time and expense. With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims-V In order that those skilled in the iLrt to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and 'use the same, l[ will describe its construction in` detail, referring by numerals to. the accompanying drawing Speeiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. i9, 19de. Renewed May 15, 1916. Serial No. 97,728.

forming a which- Figure 1, is a view in elevation of the front side of the postal card, as sent to the prospective customer. F ig. 2, is a similar view of the reverse side of the postal card. Fig. is a similar view of the reverse side, with the extensions folded over. Fig. 4, is a similar view showing a portion of the eX- tension removed to form a flap which is inserted in a slot in the body'of the postal card, Fig.` 5, is a similar view of the front side of the postal card. Fig. 6, is a view in elevation of the reverse side of the postal part of this specification, in

ing the temporary or protecting flap ready to be folded over. Fig. 8, is a similar view showingthe protecting flap folded over and inserted in the slot. Fig. 9., is a view similar to Fig. 7, illustrating another form of my device, and Fig. 10, is a similar view showing the corners of the protecting flap inserted in the slots.

i In carrying out my invention as here embodied, 2 represents a postal card formed from a suitable sheet of material comprising a body 3, and an extension 4 separated from the body by the transverse perforations 5, said extension being divided into two parts by the perforations 6 to produce a `removable flap 7, and a temporary flap 8.

The front face of the body 2 of the postal card is adapted to contain the address of the person or concern sending out the postal cards, relating to their literature which they have for distribution, while the reverse face is marked to receive the name and address of the recipient or prospective customer desiring the literature of the person u as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

tal card may also contain directions to the postmaster, not to cancel the stamp on the said reverse side, since it is to be usedas postage for the literature or merchandise asked for by the prospective customer.

When the postal card' is sent to the prospective customer, it may be dispatched iiat or it may be mailed with the extension 1L folded over, as shown in Fig. 3 and is generally sent out with a catalogue, although it may be included with any advertising medium sent to the prospective customer. When therecipient desires to mail the same to the original sender, the removable flap 7 is torn ofin along the perforated lines 5 and 6, said removable flap having directions thereon to show that it must be removed. After the removable flap 7 has been taken off, the temporary flap 8 is folded over upon the stamp on the reverse face of the postal card, and the inner corner of said flap inserted in the slot 9 in the body of the postal card, to prevent said iiap from being accidentally forced back, which would expose the return stamp, and this construction overcomes the necessity of using additional fasteners which are expensive as well as a detriment to the apparatus used by the postal authorities for canceling stamps on mail mattei'.

One side of the temporary flap 8 may contain directions for the use of the postal card, and the face of said temporary flap which is on the outside when said flap is folded over may contain the word from, and any other desirable indication marks to show that the address on the reverse side is that of the person using the postal card, it being understood that the front side of the postal card contains the name of the addressee, and a stamp for carrying the postal card to its destination.

From the above it will be seen that the stamp or other object may be placed under the temporary flap 8, and sent to the addressee with the postal card, and said flap will prevent the object from becoming lost or mutilated, and in the case of a stamp will prevent the same from being canceled.

When the postal card is received by the addressee, the temporary flap 8 is removed, thereby displaying the uncanceled stamp on the reverse side of the postal card, and if found desirable the portion of the card which contains the correspondence and the directions to the post master, may be cut from the body along the lines 10 and 11 after which the remainder of the body shown in Fig. 6, containing the prospective customers name and address, and uncanceled stamp may be pasted as a label to the wrapper of the literature desired, permitting saidl literature to be mailed to the prospective customer.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the slot 9 in the body ofthe postal card produces an inverted V, thereby forming a tongue 12 for engaging the temporary or protecting iiap 8 to hold the latter in place when it has been folded over.

rlhe construction of the device illustrated `in 9 and 10 is similar to that of my preferred form, except that there are two slots 9 for the reception of the tivo corners of the protecting flap 8 which will more securely hold said fiap in place when folded.

A postal card constructed according to this description saves the person or concern sending out literature several operations on each piece of mail such as writing a persons address and stamping the mailmatter. f

Of course do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as here shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without dei parting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus Vfully described my :invention, what 1 claim as new and-useful, is-

1. A postal card formed from a single piece of suitable material having transverse perforations to form a body, and an eXtension, said extension having transverse 'perforations therein to form two 'flaps arranged longitudinally of each other, said body having a slot therein to receive one corner of one of the flaps after the other has been taken off, and the remaining flapffolded upon the reverse side of the body, the front face of the body containing the address of the original sender and a space for a stamp, the reverse face of the body having a place Vfor the recipients name and address, a place for correspondence, directions to the postmaster and a space for a postageY stamp, the flap to be removed containing directions Yfor removing the same and the other flap containing on one face directions for the use of the postal card, and on the other face suitable indications that the card is from the address upon the reverse side of the body, the last mentioned flap and that portion ofthe body Vnot containing-'therecipients name and adcontaining the addressees name and a place for a postage stamp on the obverse'face and containing a place for the addressors name and a stamp upon the reverse face, the eX- tension when folded upon the body obscuring the addressors name, one of the flaps when the other is detached to be folded over upon thereverse face of the body to protect the stamp upon the reverse face of 1,209,425 p Y Q thef body, the exposed face of said remainefixed my signature in the presence of tWo lng Hap eontalning the legend from, and subscribing Witnesses. Ineens for retaining said remalnlng flap over the stamp against accidental displacement HUGO GERNSBAGK' 5 while thecard is passing through the mail Witnesses:

to prevent the cancellation of said stamp. S. GERNSBACK,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto J. LIPKIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

